This edition will focus on Being InforMED. Your wellbeing decisions are directly affected by the information you have about your body, medical tests/procedures, disease conditions, medications, etc. How many times have you been to a doctor and felt like a deer in headlights when he or she told you to have a specific test or procedure based on your complaints or symptoms. Or worse yet, you felt fine and it was just a checkup and you were told something needs to be ‘checked’. How would you like to be informed regarding what works and what doesn’t work to bring any health benefits whatsoever? As many of you know I have been extensively trained by the Wellness Forum Institute for Health Studies. It is the only institute in the country that excels in teaching evidence based science regarding the reversal of chronic degenerative disease conditions with no industry support or bias. Wellness Forum Health has successfully taught people how to restore health for over 17 years. They are the largest organization in the world that does what they do and they are really good at it! I will share what Dr. Pam Popper articulated so well in a previous newsletter.

InforMED Decision Making: What is It?

Adults make informed decisions regularly; they decide which apartment to rent or house to purchase; which car to buy, what type of refrigerator they want, and the schools to which they will send their children. The process usually involves gathering information in numerous ways, including researching and asking others, until feeling comfortable enough to make a decision. Decisions are frequently made concerning products and services about which consumers are not experts. I know nothing about auto mechanics or engineering, for example, but I purchase cars; and I know nothing about construction and electrical engineering, but I purchase homes. Additionally, almost all consumers would be very upset if they were told that since they know nothing about cars, they will be assigned to drive one deemed appropriate by a person or a group of persons who are experts; or assigned to live in a particular house chosen by experts in construction and homebuilding. We want and expect the right to make our own choices.
This is not the case with healthcare. While there are exceptions, healthcare professionals take the stance that they know best; that consumers are not smart enough or educated enough to evaluate information and make decisions about tests and treatments; and that "good" patients are those who follow directions. Furthermore, consumers have been brainwashed to think that this is the way things should be.
The patient who treats doctors and healthcare professionals as consultants and employees, and makes his/her own decisions, is the exception not the rule. And many doctors don't like dealing with these patients. Dr. Kelly Turner wrote about this issue in her book Radical Remission, which reports the strategies used by terminal cancer patients to survive. One of the nine strategies used by all of these patients is "taking control of their health". And, she says, their doctors describe these types of patients as being "annoying."
Our main objective at Wellness Forum Health is to change the definition of informed consent. For most people, informed consent means that a health professional informs a patient that it's time for a test, drug or procedure, and the patient consents to it. Instead, we are proposing that the patient receive objective information about their health status and conditions; clear explanations of the risks and benefits of tests, drugs, and procedures; and then inform the doctor of his choices. This is the way that everything else in life works, and there is no reason it cannot work with healthcare.
One impediment to achieving this shift in thinking is that people have difficulty understanding what this really means. Below are some excerpts from emails I've received:
"I know you don't believe in mammograms, but my sister has breast cancer and I'm wondering if I should have one."
"I feel strongly about eating a plant-based diet..."
"I know you don't like the Paleo diet..."
"What do you think about vaccines?"
I don't "believe" in anything concerning health and medicine; feeling strongly is not a reason for making a decision about diet and health; and what I like, don't like, or think is irrelevant. The most important consideration is what the preponderance of the evidence shows to be true when making decisions about diet, health and medicine. Taking control of your health is not doing what I say instead of what someone else says; it is doing what you think is right after looking at objective information about the issue. And that's our main business; helping consumers to interact with providers for evidence-based, collaborative discussions about health in order to make informed decisions about care. It's a new model for healthcare, we are determined to make it the norm, and we have lots of programs and services to help both consumers and providers to shift to this new modality.We are excited to announce that Wellness Forum Health now has a network of health professionals who are trained to offer services in alignment with this model. If you are a consumer and have decided it's time for you to become informed; or you're a provider and you want to learn how to have informed discussions with your clients/patients, send me an email at www.pampopper@msn.com . We can talk about how you can benefit from association with us.

Discover how to eliminate pain, the need for medications and regain your health. Contact Eileen Kopsaftis or call 518-496-1265 for a comprehensive pain/health consultation.

You deserve a long, healthy, pain-free life!

HLW Recipe of the Month: Eileen's Green Drink

This drink will feed your cells from within. Be careful, it’s addicting! Starting your day this way instead of coffee will ensure you are nourished and full of energy. If you don’t want to give up your coffee, add this to your morning and your body will be glad you did.

1 banana (the riper the better)

1/2 apple

½ slice fresh pineapple

handful frozen strawberries

2-3 Kale leaves, ‘zip’ leaves from stem

1-2 sprigs fresh parsley

*1 scoop Vanilla Complete Powder

*1 tablespoon Brewer’s Yeast

*1 teaspoon food grade green tea

*1 tablespoon flax seeds

Add water up to 6 cup mark (ingredients are usually above this mark but the water is not) I make this amount because I share it at work. You can reduce it for personal consumption. Grind flax seed in coffee bean grinder first if you don’t have a Vita-mix. Put all ingredients in blender and add water. Liquefy. A steel thermos keeps it cold for work. Shake before drinking and share with friends!Tips: you can use any fruits you like but the banana really makes a difference. If your bananas get overripe just peel and freeze them in a Ziploc. The frozen strawberries ensure it’s good and cold. You can also freeze grapes for cold and sweetness. If you use blueberries it will be purple/brown, not green!

*Note of wisdom: Don’t get caught up in having ALL the ingredients before you make this. The extras below (not including the pineapple) are to create a powerful immune and energy boost. They are not absolutely necessary. Also remember a habit takes 30 days to form. Once you make this a habit you will never go without it!

Pineapple: Save $ and buy whole. Easy to prepare (takes about 3 minutes): slice off bottom and top, stand on end and slice down the sides moving around to get all the peel. Then lay on side and cut into slices. The Vita-mix doesn’t need you to remove the center core. If using a regular blender you can stand the pineapple on end and cut from top down into 4 quarters. Then cut the center core off each 1/4 and then cut into slices. A sealed container will keep your pineapple fresh for a week or more.

*Food grade green tea: specially grown in China for Wellness Forum Health; the caffeine will not occur in your body if eaten (only occurs in hot tea) You will find no other tea like this anywhere in the world. A tremendous source of anti-oxidants. I see a difference in my energy when this is added to my morning! 614 841-7700 to order.

*Flax seeds: I buy at Honest Weight but they are also at Hannaford and Wellness Forum Health. Need to be ground in a coffee grinder before using if not using a Vita-Mix.

*Brewer’s yeast: important to get best quality for concentrated food source of B vitamins. B vitamins are depleted by stress. Who doesn’t have stress?! Available at Wellness Forum Health for only ~$5/pound and it has a great flavor! $13/pound at my local Co-op and not nearly as good. 614 841-7700

*JuicePlus+ Vanilla Complete Powder: the highest quality plant protein powder on the market. I would not use any other. Available at www.Eileen.juiceplus.com

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HLW Tip of the Month: All #'s Needed for Success!

Have you made changes in your diet and not seen any positive results in your health? Have you taken steps to improve your health and failed? Have you wondered why? Read on…
Why do most diet changes fail to improve health? Unfortunately, many people make changes based on general knowledge that is considered valid but is completely false. People change to “healthy fats” like cold pressed extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). They switch to fat free or low fat milk. They eliminate red meats and remove the skin from their chicken. They cut carb consumption to almost nothing. They control their portions and limit their calories as long as they can stand the pangs of hunger. All of these things are completely useless at improving health outcomes! If you have taken my Nourish Your Body classes you have learned why all of the above is wrong. If you haven’t, here are the cliff notes. There are no healthy fats. Olive oil decreases circulation just like saturated fat. Yes, really, and the fat you eat is the fat you wear! All dairy products increase risk of cancer, diabetes, digestive disorders, etc. That includes cheese which is ~70% fat and most of that is saturated fat. Yogurt will not restore your beneficial flora either! All animal meats (anything with a face or a mother) contain cholesterol. Plants do not contain cholesterol. Chicken, turkey, and beef have very nearly the same fat and all, including fish, have cholesterol. Salmon outshines them all being almost half fat! Your body and brain need carbs and you will destroy your health living on animal foods and fats. Starving yourself lowers your metabolism and as soon as you ‘give up’ you gain the weight right back again and then some. If you are interested in learning these facts in more detail and how to apply them to your life in simple, practical ways, (enjoying all the food you can eat) sign up for a class. Enjoy a delicious meal and regain control of your health! It takes all the numbers to open the lock.

Use the combination to Have LifeLong WellBeing!

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